


Taking Great Pains

by sherlockpond



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Alien Planet, Audio 011: Broken (Torchwood), COE Fix-it, Cardiff, Death, Episode: s01e04 Cyberwoman, Episode: s01e08 They Keep Killing Suzie, Episode: s03e03 Children of Earth - Day 3, Episode: s03e04 Children of Earth - Day 4, Flashbacks, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Jack being Jack, M/M, Psychic Abilities, Series 03 Fix-It: Children of Earth (Torchwood), the rift - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:28:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23072479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlockpond/pseuds/sherlockpond
Summary: Jack bumps into a familiar face in an unfamiliar place.From a bar to a cave, with the promise of resurrection.(Can be read as a stand alone, but also ties in with my previous work.)
Relationships: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Comments: 5
Kudos: 77





	Taking Great Pains

**Author's Note:**

> Oh noooo, I accidentally wrote more.
> 
> Whoops.
> 
> Written very quickly, so not checked by anyone or combed for inconsistencies...apologies...
> 
> And Faith is the little girl from 'They Keep Killing Suzie' and 'Dead Man Walking'. I think the writers hooked that up soo well.

The bar is alien, crowded, loud, full of strangers and easy to lose yourself in. All the things Captain Jack Harkness was looking for. He throws back another shot of sticky, black alcohol which has so far managed to get him halfway to drunk in under an hour, slams the glass back on the bar and beckons the bartender over for another. The bartender rolls their eyes and reluctantly cooperates - Jack slides a few units across in payment before he’s left alone again.

“You’re a long way from home, Captain,”

Jack turns to see an oddly familiar face. A small girl, long brown hair, and Victorian clothes.

“Faith?”

The girl smiles “For now,” 

She hops up onto a bar stool and Jack’s addled brain can’t quite comprehend the scenario of her being here. Her long brown hair pulled back into its typical style, a small half ponytail complete with pink ribbon. She looks at him like she always does, disapprovingly - like she’s expecting him to be  _ better  _ than he is.

Reaching into her pocket she pulls out the old deck of tarot cards.

Jack lets out a sigh “I’m really not in the mood,”

She gives him a pointed look, glancing at the viscous drink and then back at him before shuffling the deck with practised ease. She pulls out the first card.

“The Fool, in reverse - the end of a cycle, the beginning of something new. An unsustainable way of life will draw to a close in order for new beginnings to form,” she says, and even though she’s quiet, he can hear every word crystal clear, as if the bar around them doesn’t exist.

“Justice - the equilibrium of your life is in turmoil. Something will change, balance will be restored,” she gives him a knowing look.

Jack looks down at the cards and feels fear building in his chest. Faith pulls out the last card and her eyes flick up to Jack before she places it in front of him.

Death.

“Someone close to you will come back into your life. Death symbolises rebirth, reincarnation, the renewal of old bonds.” 

Jack shoots her a dangerous look. Faith sets down her cards and leans forward.

“I heard that a rift scar has opened on Umbeka,” she says “if you get me there, I’ll use it to help you,”

Jack tenses, defensive “Why do you think I need help?”

Faith looks at the collection of small shot glasses in front of Jack and the down at his hands, and it’s only now he realises they’re trembling.

“I can go,” she says, collecting her cards.

Jack concedes and puts a hand on hers, she gives him a dangerous look and he retracts his hand.

“I...fine.  _ Fine _ .” 

Faith smirks and hops off her seat, wandering through the crowd. Jack grimaces and quickly shoots back the alcohol before following her.

By the time Jack gets outside of the bar Faith looks even more unimpressed. He stalks over to her and starts fiddling with his Vortex Manipulator.

“You got coordinates?” he asks, his brain swimming with alcohol, hazing the edges of his vision.

Faith tuts and reaches her hand out, two fingers outstretched. They press against his temple and a set of numbers come to the front of his mind.

“You know that’s just plain lazy?” Jack snaps, punching in the numbers.

Faith shrugs and Jack rolls his eyes, holding out his arm. She takes it, still looking smug.

“Hold tight,” Jack says, hitting the final button.

The telltale sensation of being constrained, complete darkness followed by all the air returning very quickly hits Jack like a slap in the face. He opens his eyes and a long expanse opens up before them.

Umbeka spreads out as far as the eye can see, mottled land, blue mountains rise in the distance capped with alien snow, the sky glitters with pinks and yellows. Faith tugs Jack’s sleeve.

“Stop staring and let’s move,” 

She starts walking ahead at a brisk pace and Jack hurries to keep up.

“How do you know where it is?”

“I can feel the power, Captain. Now shut up and follow me,”

Jack takes a breath to calm himself down and does as he’s told.

They walk for what feels like hours and hours, Faith’s pace never dwindles and Jack does his best to keep up but the come down from alcohol is making him tired and upset. They come to the base of a mountain and Faith pauses for the first time since they started walking, Jack’s all but panting with exhaustion.

She looks around for a few seconds before spotting a small entrance to what seems to be a cave, it’s impossibly dark. Jack swallows and his mouth tastes disgusting and dry.

“In there,” Faith says, pointing towards the cave. Jack nods, dumbly, and when she begins to walk towards it, his feet automatically follow.

Faith leads and disappears into the darkness, Jack feels a little more hesitant and prods his Manipulator, activating the setting nearest thing to a torch, it isn’t strong but it does the trick. Jack watches his step as he heads into the pitch black, he can hear the footsteps of Faith in the distance. He keeps walking until the cave hollows out into a small room, and there, at the far end is a small crack, spilling blues and purples, whispering quietly to itself.

Faith stands looking at it.

“What now?” Jack asks, sitting on a nearby boulder.

Faith doesn’t answer, only beckons him over. He groans as he hauls himself off the boulder and makes his way over to Faith.

“Sit,” Faith all but orders.

Jack huffs but obliges. Once on the ground he can feel the power of the rift next to him, he watches it and finds himself leaning in towards it.

“Focus,” Faith says, Jack didn’t even notice her moving to sit opposite him, she takes his hands roughly. It feels a little bizarre to be in a cave with the form of a child, but he shakes himself.

“I need you to focus on what you want most,” Faith says, her voice almost feels supernatural as it bounces around the cavern “Picture it in your mind. Hold it strong. Hold it fast. Try to tie emotion into it, that’ll make it stronger,”

Jack nods and closes his eyes. Faith’s grip grows tighter and tighter until Jack swears there’s no blood left in his hands. His fingers begin to fizz and tingle.

“Imagine what you want most, Captain,”

_ Blue eyes. The colour of clouds after a storm. _

_ “Careful, that’s harassment, sir,” _

_ A clean pressed shirt. The smell of linen. A tie being loosened before it’s pulled off. _

“More than that,”

_ “You could kiss me?” _

_ “What?” _

_ “You could kiss me, only if you wanted to,” _

_ “We’re both screwed up,” _

_ “I’ll see you in my office in...ten,” _

_ The anticipation of waiting. Hearing footsteps approaching. Seeing him come around the corner. _

_ The first time their lips pressed together. Properly. When no one was dying, and Jack hadn’t felt so alive in such a long time. _

“Stronger,”

Jack digs deeper.

_ Waking in the night to find a body pressed to his.  _

_ Running his fingers through short hair. Pressing dry kisses into hot skin. Skin that tastes like salt and something unique. Whispering secrets into the darkness, wishing he could say it to the other man when he was awake. _

_ “I love you,” _

_ Kisses shared in quiet corners. Fumbles in the archives.  _

_ “Just this once?” _

_ “Just this once,” _

“It’s not enough,”

_ “Have you ever loved anyone that much?” _

_ Snogging up against a kitchen counter overlooking the Bay, coffee cooling on the side.  _

_ “You shouldn’t be here,” _

_ “Neither should you,” _

_ “I came back for you,” _

_ “The world’s always ending,” A pointed look shared between two men. _

“Almost,” Faith whispers, strained.

_ Holding his body as he died. _

_ Hearing his last breaths rattle through poisoned lungs.  _

_ “I love you,” _

_ “Don’t,” _

_ Jack feeling powerless. Hopeless. Feeling the same poison running through his own veins. _

_ Wishing he could say the same, but it’s too little too late. _

_ These confessions mean nothing from condemned lips, heard by soon-to-be dead ears. _

_ Jack can’t force the words, he just can’t. The fog of death is settling over them both as a monstrous shape looms above. _

_ “Don’t forget me,” _

_ It’s heart-wrenching and Jack’s chest hurts with a mixture of premeditated grief and anguish. _

_ He shakes his head, his brain is beginning to short-circuit and lights dance in front of his eyes as he begins to lose consciousness. _

_ Jack falls into the blackness knowing that the one person who’s always there won’t be when he wakes. _

_ It’s one of the rare occasions he wishes the immortality would end.  _

_ He would do  _ **_anything_ ** _ to save him. That feeling of emotion is so strong in his chest. It twists and bites, shrinks and expands. _

“Yes!” 

Jack’s eyes open and Faith is staring directly at him.

“Hold it!” she barks, and Jack tries to capture the feeling but it’s agony. Grief bubbles up through his neck and tears spill from his eyes, fresh and hot, rolling down his cheeks and into week-old stubble.

_ Ianto dying. Ianto dying in my arms. Ianto declaring undying (and yet still dying) love.  _

It stings, raw like a wound opening after being weakly stitched together. Jack grits his teeth and it fills his whole body, Faith seems to be in a trance and the rift next to them begins to widen and shift in reaction to them.

“I’ve got it. I see him,” Faith says softly, she presses her eyes shut and breathes out, it’s barely there but gold spills from her lips and drifts to the rift. Jack watches, awe struck as it slips into the swirling hues and disappears from view.

Faith’s eyes open and she looks tired. She keels forwards and Jack breaks their connection to catch her before she folds. 

“Easy,” Jack says, lying her on her back.

“I hope you can find some happiness, Captain, you’ve waited long enough for it,” Faith says, but it takes a second for Jack to realise her lips aren’t moving. She’s telling him psychically. He can feel her in his head, it’s been a while since he’d communicated with someone like this and it makes his ears ring low a little.

**Are you alright?** he asks, squinting with effort.

**Leave me with the rift, I feed on the residual energy** . Faith replies and Jack narrows his eyes.

**Why do you question me after everything?** Faith says, eyebrows twitching with disdain.

**Harness the rift with your device** she continues **go back to Earth, wait for him.**

**When do I aim for?** Jack says, getting to his feet and flipping open his Manipulator, inputting familiar coordinates, it makes his stomach churn.

**You’ll know it once you get there.**

Jack raises a skeptical eyebrow but realises that’s probably all he’ll get. With one final push of a button, he disappears from the cave in Umbeka and reappears outside the Tourist Information, cold Welsh wind blowing the cobwebs from Jack’s mind. He breathes in deeply and is struck with the distinctive smell and taste of Cardiff. 

He turns to the doorway beside him, long since chained up and out of use. Running a hand down weathered wood panelling, he remembers the times that were spent here. He smiles sadly before turning and walking towards the new water sculpture, glinting in the sunlight. He passes a bench and picks up a discarded newspaper. He notes the date.

**9th July 2019**

_ 9th July 2019… _

Jack stumbles a little. 10 years today. And suddenly it all makes sense, he’s here for a reason. 

The graveyard. He needs to get to the graveyard. Now.

He walks with purpose for the first time in a long time.

[Although he does make a quick pit-stop at Sainsbury’s for a few supplies - Jack smiles at how easy the machines are to con with his wrist-strap.]

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments literally make me write more.
> 
> sherlockpond.tumblr.com
> 
> <3


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